Lecture 36.docx

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School

York University

Department

Humanities

Course

HUMA 1105

Professor

Donald A Burke

Semester

Fall

Description

Oedipus the King
• Theme 1: Blindness and Insight
• Theme 2: The gradual process of Oedipus being the murderer of Laius.
• Teiresias is quite hesitant to reveal to Oedipus that he is the murderer of Laius. This is
because he fears punishment
• Oedipus accuses Teiresias to conspire with Creon to blame Oedipus for the murder.
• There is irony in the play: 1) blind seer has insight on Oedipus as the murderer 2)
Oedipus who has sight refuses this idea 3) Oedipus has to ultimately submit to his own
punishment that he establishes early on in the play.
• Pages 85-93: There is a heightening sense of tension between Teiresias and Oedipus.
• Page 87: Oedipus accuses Teiresias again.
• Oedipus does not take kindly this bit of insight from the blind seer
• Line 370: his accusation that not only is he physically blind, but blind in eyes and ears as
well. The truth has been revealed to him but refuses to acknowledge the truth.
• Oedipus assumes there is a conspiracy between Teiresias and Creon.
• It’s ironic because only Teiresias is able to see the truth, even though he is blind.
• Line 412: You now have straight vision, but will be driven by darkness beyond your eyes.
Teiresias says how Oedipus will make himself blind.
• Teiresias’ last outburst page 93: Oedipus will blind himself
• Line 747: Once the full truth has come out by both the messengers, Oedipus
acknowledges the truth and physically blinds himself
• Oedipus takes Jocasta’s brooch and blinds himself in his eyes
• Line 1266: The physical act of blinding that Teiresias anticipated
• Page 134: Final act of blinding.
• Jocasta does not put much thought in oracles. She encourages Oedipus to disregard the
words of Creon, Teiresias.
• Page 105: She tries to reassures Oedipus that he is not the guilty one, that Laius son
was left to die on a hillside. • Initially Laius pierced the boy’s ankles. Oedipus has these scars. Laius himself did not
leave the baby on the hill